Aspire Mini Gusto Review

The Aspire Mini Gusto gives a new meaning to the term mini, it really is a tiny and compact device so make sure you see our images below to get a good idea of the actual size.

Vapour95%

Innovation85%

Price100%

Design85%

Battery Life95%

The Aspire Mini Gusto is the next step in vaping evolution. This tiny mod is completely different from the usual vape setup. Instead of the mod itself employing a coil, a tank and your e-liquid of choice, the Mini Gusto employs the use of pre-filled pods which are simply slotted into the device. There’s no coil changing or refilling necessary. It’s all done with pre-filled components.

These pre-filled components are known as NS/20 e-liquid pods. They must be purchased separately.

Despite this being quite a revolutionary approach to vaping, there’s no denying that the Mini Gusto is catered towards beginners. Its simplicity is its main selling point and it’s one which is sure to attract a lot of new vapers.

Let’s get into the finer details:

What’s In the Kit?

The packaging retains all the branded colours associated with Aspire but keeps the contents of the box in line with simplicity. The box lid pulls to reveal the contents neatly laid out. However, there is little information on the box detailing exactly what the Mini Gusto is. It mentions nothing about the revolutionary filling capabilities, so it’s possible that many people will purchase this product expecting it to be a run-of-the-mill mod.

Unless the user is familiar with exactly what NS/20 refers to, it could potentially fool a lot of people into purchasing this gimmick device unknowingly. Likewise, the back of the packaging makes no mentions of its limitations.

All basic stuff. No additional components and no spares. It’s refreshing to be able to pick up a vape mod and not have to worry about loading it with the correct coils or tinkering with the hardware, however, this also provides many limitations at the same time.

While some people might consider it a hindrance that additional components must be purchased in order to start using the vape (the NS/2- pods), this is really no different than having to purchase e-liquid separately. It’s just that in this case, this particular e-liquid comes pre-loaded with the necessary coils to allow the device to function.

Aspire Mini Gusto Product Specifications

Output Wattage: 17 Watt

Atomizer Resistance: 1.5ohm

Continuous Fire Time

10 seconds with Auto Shut Off

Charging Port: Micro-USB

Dimensions: 22mm X 47.5mm X 60mm

Battery: 900mah LiPo Battery

10 Second Auto Cut-Off

Short Circuit Protection

Over Discharge Protection

Over Heat Protection

POD Capacity: 4.2ml

1.5Ω Atomizer

Organic Cotton Wick

MID-AIRFLOW

In order to get the mod setup, you simply need to prep the NS/20 capsules and install them inside the device.

This is very straightforward, and is actually a lot simpler (and less messy) than attaching the correct coil and filling with e-liquid for the first time. It’s very much plug-and-go.

Five clicks of the fire button will turn the device on (and likewise to turn it off), and that’s all the prepping you need to do.

The Pros And Cons Of The Aspire Mini Gusto

The Aspire Mini Gusto gives a new meaning to the term mini. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is genuinely the tiniest mod I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying. To hold the device in your hands you would think it was nothing more than a hollow shell.

Even with a fully loaded NS/20 capsule inside, there is no weight to the Gusto at all. It’s as light as a feather. A great advantage for anyone who doesn’t like lugging around heavy electronics with them when they’re on the road.

However, the metallic surface of the mod doesn’t lend itself well to durability. A couple of knocks and you could easily find yourself with a few noticeable scratches. Luckily, the lightweight nature of the device should prevent any significant damage if the mod is dropped or knocked around. The mod comes in a variety of colours (black, grey, blue and red) and all of them would be prone to the same hazards.

The fire button is located in the usual place: on the side of the mod above the USB cable port. Given that there’s no plus or minus buttons or an LED screen, it’s a very simplistic setup. The fire button is appropriately sensitive and the device holds comfortably in the hand. The only downside is that it might seem a little too small. The mod slipped out of my hands on more than one occasion.

When it comes to performance, the Mini Gusto is as refined as any vape on the market. Straight away, there was no dry hits and no gurgling. It was as smooth as it comes. The device definitely packed a punch too. The revolutionary coil system allows for maximum flavour and cloud output by employing a nifty mid-airflow feature. This allows for the mod to be used as both a mouth-to-lung and direct-to-lung device.

The Mini Gusto provides both a satisfying throat hit along with a smooth nicotine intake. The e-liquid I used for this was the 555 Tobacco flavour from Element which boasts 20mgs of nicotine packed into the capsule. I rarely vape above 0.6mg myself so this was like inhaling an entire bottle of e-liquid in one, but it was definitely an enjoyable experience. The flavour itself, from a combination of the Mini Gusto’s power and the top quality e-liquid felt almost identical to smoking an actual cigarette. The throat hit, the energy surge and the woody aftertaste were all present.

It took less than an hour for the device to fully charge, another great advantage to this nifty piece of kit. Battery life was outstanding and found that I couldn’t run the battery life down in any less than 36 hours (despite trying my best to do so). Before the battery died, I found I had used one and a half bottles of the 2ml liquid provided. Definitely a positive in my books.

A quick note on the NS/20 liquid pods: these capsules can only be purchased directly from the Element site and are around £10 for a pack of three 2ml capsules. They definitely save a lot of messing around when it comes to re-filling your device, not to mention the necessary coils are built into the capsule itself.

The pods are designed to be used once, discarded and then replaced with another one, however, it is actually possible to refill these pods with any e-liquid of your choosing. It requires a little bit of fumbling around with the hardware, but it’s a great little hack for anyone who isn’t a fan of the limited Element flavours available.

Pros:

Outstanding performance

Unique re-fill system

Short charge time / long battery life

Great price (RRP £19.99)

Fantastic mid-airflow controls for both DTL and MTL vaping

Cons:

What Are the Aspire Mini Gusto’s Best Features?

At first, I wasn’t a fan of the NS/20 refill feature, however, it quickly grew on me. The fact that there’s no need to mess around with coils or atomisers is a fantastic feature. To swap e-liquids, it’s as simple as removing a pod and putting another one in its place. You don’t need to clean the atomiser or change any settings. It’s a common complaint from vapers that it’s difficult to change e-liquids without wasting some or having to keep a spare atomiser around. Aspire have taken this gripe and solved it in the most efficient way possible.

Whether it’s related to the mod itself or the NS/20 pod feature, the Mini Gusto provides an unrivalled vape experience. I’ve tried it with two different e-liquid flavours now, and the hit from both of them has been incredible. Every inhale is like dragging that first cigarette of the day. It gets right into your head and lungs and provides a kind of mini high each time.

The simplistic nature of the device is by far its best feature, and Aspire have reduced everything about the mod down its most basic. In most cases, this usually brings about a few problems, but there is very little about the Mini Gusto which can be seen as a negative. For a device of such power, the charging time is incredible. You don’t have to worry about forgetting to charge the device overnight because of both the outstanding battery life and charge time.

The icing on the cake is that this mod retails at less than £20. For a Mini Gusto mod and 6ml of e-liquid, this will set you back £30 at most. While the NS/20 pods might seem a little pricy (around £10 for 3 x 2ml capsules), it’s a decent price given the outstanding flavour they produce.

How Does It Compare To Its Peers?

While the Mini Gusto offers everything a beginner vaper could need, the lack of functionality is sure to put off the more advanced users. With this in mind, it might be useful checking out the previous Aspire model before the Mini Gusto – the Zelos 50W.

These two models are both by Aspire, so if you can guarantee you’re in good hands with either model. However, the Zelos is a great all-round model which has become a fan favourite since its release.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the two:

Gusto: Tiny and lightweight

Zelos: Sizable but light

Gusto: Limited to NS/20 liquids

Zelos: Topfill refillable with any liquid

Gusto: No functionality

Zelos: Average functionality

Gusto: Outstanding performance

Zelos: Perfect performance

Gusto: Retails around £20, but NS/20 pods can be pricey

Zelos: Retails around £50, but has no limitations regarding liquid

Conclusion

Aside from the size and the scratch-prone surface, it’s difficult to find anything negative to say about the Aspire Mini Gusto. It might take a little time getting used to the pods, and you might need to stack up on them if you don’t want to make multiple trips to the vape store every week, but it’s definitely do-able.

Overall, this is the perfect device for a beginner due to the lack of setup required, and it’s also a great secondary vape perfect for those situations when you’re unable to carry much around with you. I can definitely see myself using this when I’m out and about.

About The Author

Albert JustAlthough Albert is the tech-guy here at Ecigsuk.org.uk. He tested some of the new vape gear and started enjoying to describe his findings, so we can expect him to do some reviews for EcigsUK moving forward too.